The Wiz
by Hannoie
Summary: In the wake of a terrible virus called 'The Wiz', the Ministry pass a new Marriage Law and Ginny goes from being engaged to Harry Potter, to being engaged to Draco Malfoy. Can she deal with being the new Mrs Malfoy? And can she ever get over her hatred for the icy Slytherin Prince? EWE
1. Prologue

**Hello, dear readers! Thank you for clicking on this story; it means a lot. If any of you happen to read any of my other stories and wonder why the heck I'm not updating them instead of writing this, well… The muse is fickle. I've been planning on writing this story for a long time and just now a sudden flash of inspiration made me decide that this should be a Drinny story. I don't really ship Drinny, but I do have a soft spot for it. I totally would have shipped it if I hadn't shipped Hinny so hard! I hope I can make justice to the two very interesting characters this will be about.**

**First, a prologue…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Harry Potter universe. The only thing I own here is the story idea and 'The Wiz'.**

* * *

When the war finally ended, the only thing anyone wanted was some peace and quiet. Some time to relax. Just a fraction of eternity without any worries.

The 12th of May 1998, ten days after the fall of Voldemort, the first case of a curious new sickness was reported to St. Mungo's. It was different from anything anyone had ever seen before. Extensive examinations showed that it was a virus that seemed to attack the wizard gene, and caused fever, sweating and hallucinations. The virus was highly contagious.

The 13th, three new victims were registered at St. Mungo's. The 14th, ten. The 15th, twenty two.

The first victim of the virus, Finn Trapsel, recovered after three days of illness, and after another day of examinations he was free to go. The virus was out of his system, and as it didn't cause anything but a few days of high fever and hallucinations, it apparently wasn't as bad as it first had seemed.

The conscious patients were greatly relieved to hear that they'd recover in only a day or two and that they'd all be fine.

Five hours later, Finn Trapsel came rushing back into St. Mungo's, yelling that he couldn't use magic anymore.

Two hours after that, an Esmeralda Bonnet died from the virus.

The 16th of May, thirty nine new victims were registered at St. Mungo's.

* * *

**Okay, so that was incredibly short. I promise the real chapters will be longer ;)**

**Now, there. We have our background story. I sincerely hope I didn't make any doctors or soon-to-be-doctors out there cringe because of my non-existent knowledge of viruses. If I've made a mistake, just tell me and I'll try to correct it.**

**So, what do you think? I know it's not much yet, but do you think this could turn out to be interesting? Review! It's the only payment a poor fanfiction writer gets…**

**See you around for chapter one!**

**Hannoie**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1, yey! Okay, so let's really get this story going. No story without a little Hinny, so that's where we'll begin. Oh, and by the way. I'll attempt some Latin in this chapter and if I butcher it terribly, please correct me. I want my story to be as correct as possible.**

**Disclaimer: It all belongs to Queen Rowling.**

* * *

It was Ginny's graduation. Here she stood in the Great Hall, a sunny morning, getting her NEWT results. Never in her life had she been happier; she was ready to begin her life outside Hogwarts.

Last night had been the Leaving Feast. The halls had been almost as full as usual; a few students had lost their magic or died over summer, but most had made it. Once here, they hadn't left again. It hadn't been safe enough.

This morning, though, the Prophet had brought happy news. The article on the front page had gradually made the entire Hall, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins alike, cheer.

**_'_****_The Wiz' contained at last!_**

_Lues Magi or Wizard's Plague, commonly known as 'The Wiz', has been plaguing Wizarding Britain for more than a year, claiming 58 percent of our population, 20 of the 58 through death. Now, however, the Ministry and St. Mungo's have through a joint effort, at last, managed to contain the virus. There shall be no more hiding and waiting for death; we can now truly begin to rebuild Wizarding Britain, free from both Voldemort and The Wiz. Read more on page 7._

Before, the prospect of leaving Hogwarts had been daunting. It was their safe Haven, the place where The Wiz couldn't reach them. They had all been terrified.

But not anymore. The Wiz was gone now, hopefully never to be back. Everything could go back to normal.

Well, perhaps not completely normal. Ginny's father, and Percy and Ron, had all suffered from The Wiz. They had all fallen ill within a week from each other; it had been the worst week of Ginny's life.

Thankfully, none of them had died, but they had lost their magic. Arthur took it quite well – he was happy to be alive, and he had always found muggles much more interesting than wizards, anyway. Percy had been distraught in the beginning, but had come to terms with is quite quickly. When he realised he couldn't become Minister of Magic anymore, he decided to settle for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Of course, it wasn't quite the same, but good enough. Since then, he'd been studying hard to figure out what he needed to know and what education he needed to have.

Ron was the one taking it the hardest. He hadn't been thirteen yet when he realised that he wanted to spend his life as an Auror with Harry, and suddenly he couldn't. According to Molly's letters, he spent his days sulking, refusing to consider what his life would be without magic. Apparently, he was convinced he'd end up like Filch. Ginny hoped he'd get over it soon – sure, it was awful that he'd lost his magic, but at least he wasn't dead. None of them were, and for that Ginny was eternally grateful. Losing Fred had been hard enough – she couldn't have handled if anybody else died.

Her NEWTs were all O's and E's, she noticed happily. She had received her expected grades in all subjects but Potions. She had thought she'd get an E, but had in fact ended up with an O. Overall, she was very much satisfied with her results.

When graduation was over, they took their goodbyes of the professors before going down to the boathouse, the same rout as in their very first year. Tradition had it that they leaved Hogwarts the same way they first entered it – the beginning and the end of an era.

* * *

That night, Ginny was celebrating her graduation and the containment of The Wiz. She was in Hogsmeade with almost all the graduates and quite a few of her older friends, including Neville, Hermione, Ron (although sulkily) and Harry. She'd been dating Harry since the end of the war and she loved him more than she could tell. Every time she looked at him, her stomach fluttered and her heart felt like it was going to explode.

She was looking at him now. He was talking to Ron, obviously trying to make his best friend stop sulking. Harry suddenly turned around and met her gaze. He grinned widely and Ginny smiled back. Their relationship was going great; Harry was a very attentive boyfriend. He had come to visit her at Hogwarts during every break, and he had been good at keeping up correspondence between the breaks. He was always asking how she was doing, always interested. During her years in Hogwarts, she had dated a few guys and almost every one of them had only wanted to talk about themselves, themselves, themselves. But not Harry. He wasn't attention seeking. He was a genuinely nice, unselfish, wonderful guy, and if Ginny got to spend the rest of her life with him she'd be quite happy.

Harry was coming over now, greeting her with a kiss.

'Congrats, Gin,' he said enthusiastically. 'I knew you'd do great. You're the second smartest witch I know and definitely the most beautiful. You look great tonight,' he told her, kissing her again. She responded with passion.

'Thanks, Harry,' she replied breathlessly when they broke apart. He grinned again. He looked a little drunk, but that didn't bother her. She was a little drunk, too.

Suddenly, Harry looked embarrassed. He was fiddling with something in his pocket, but Ginny couldn't see what it was.

'Harry?' she asked, feeling a little concerned. 'What's the matter?'

'Nothing's the matter,' he quickly assured her, but his blush was saying otherwise. 'I just… Ginny, I think you're great. I love you. And… I want more, y'know? I… Oh Merlin, that sounded completely wrong, especially as we've already… Uh, Ginny, I… Doyouwannamarryme?' he blurted out. Ginny blinked for a few moments. Had he just…? Had he really…?

'Yes!' she cried before she had finished processing the question. 'Yes, of course!'

Harry was now holding a beautiful golden ring with a large diamond in the middle. He slipped it on her finger, finding that it fit perfectly. Ginny looked at the ring before looking around, realising that people were watching them curiously.

'We're engaged!' she cried, feeling tears of happiness filling her eyes. She looked at Harry and kissed him with everything she had, to the deafening roars and cheers from the other celebrators.

* * *

The next day, an owl flew through the kitchen window of The Burrow. Its message read:

_Miss Ginevra Weasley,_

_This is Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies, writing. I have seen you play Quidditch at Hogwarts and I am, frankly, quite amazed at you skill. Because of The Wiz, the Holyhead Harpies have lost a Chaser, and we'd love to see you come and officially try out for the team._

_Of course, there will be other applicants, but I dare say we've already made up our minds._

_Please reply as soon as possible._

_Yours,_

_Gwenog Jones_

In only two days, Ginny's life had gone from completely messed up to completely perfect. She couldn't possibly have been any happier.

* * *

**Yes, well, this was a short one, too, but it felt appropriate to cut here. Let's give the poor girl a few moments of happiness before it's ruthlessly crushed into nothingness, eh?**

**Again, if the Latin name ****_Lues Magum _****is wrong in any way, please tell me so that I can correct the mistake. Remember to review!**

**See you around for chapter two!**

**Hannoie**


	3. Chapter 2

**Now, chapter two. Let the disaster begin…**

**Disclaimer: As my mum was pregnant with me when the first book was published mid-1997, I'd say I don't own them. At all.**

* * *

It was the 1st of August and Ginny sat by the kitchen table in The Burrow eating breakfast. It was a little more than a month since Harry's proposal and the planning for the wedding was in full swing. Ginny was also going to try out for the Holyhead Harpies the 14th, three days after her birthday. Life seemed perfect.

Suddenly, two owls flew into the kitchen. One of them was carrying the _Prophet_, and Ginny immediately recognized the other owl as a Ministry Owl carrying several missives.

The Ministry Owl dropped off the missives and left immediately, while the _Prophet_ Owl wanted payment. She handled the owl the money, wondering about the letters. What could they be about? The Weasleys had no business with the Ministry.

Before she had time to give the letters a good look, though, the _Prophet's _headline caught her eye.

**_MARRIAGE LAW PASSED!_**

_The Ministry have passed a new Marriage Law concerning every witch between 17 and 40, and every wizard between 17 and 50, on the grounds that British Wizardry will die if nothing is done._

_-We understand that this will cause an uproar, says Minister Shacklebolt, but if we don't do this, Wizardkind will die in Great Britain. As I myself will be one of the affected by this law, I'm not happier than anyone else, but I can see that it is necessary._

_Nobody is allowed to choose their own life partner, but will be married to a person they're genetically compatible with._

_-In this situation, we can't afford Squibs. Squibs are caused by poorly matched genes the same way poorly matched genes cause mentally impaired and malformed children in the Muggle world. What we need right now is healthy, magical children, which we can't get if we let everybody run around and marry whoever they want, says Genetic Expert Melinda Welfer. _

_Read more on page 4._

Ginny quickly turned to page four, alarmed. Surely she couldn't be affected by this law. Surely they weren't going to break engagements. That was ridiculous. Surely none of the letters lying on the table was intended for her. She had barely looked at them yet, let alone counted them; they were surely intended for George, Charlie and Hermione who were all staying at The Burrow over the summer. It couldn't be one for her. It couldn't.

A full spread was dedicated to the new law, but Ginny didn't care about the part consisting of several different Ministry Officials trying to defend this ridiculous law, and jumped directly to the listed terms and requirements.

_A witch will not be subjected to the law if:_

_-she is under the age of 17._

_-she attends Hogwarts (she will, however, be subjected to the law as soon as she graduates)._

_-she is over the age of 40._

_-she is diagnosed with infertility._

_-she is already married._

_-being pregnant will seriously risk her health (individual cases will be reviewed in this case)._

_-she has a hereditary disease which could affect the child negatively._

_-she is incompatible with every wizard ten years or less her senior/junior._

_-she is permanently registered at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries or is a prisoner of Azkaban._

_A wizard will not be subjected to the law if:_

_-he is under the age of 17._

_-he attends Hogwarts (he will, however, be subjected to the law as soon as he graduates)._

_-he is over the age of 50._

_-he is diagnosed with infertility._

_-he is already married._

_-he has a hereditary disease which could affect the child negatively._

_-he is incompatible with every witch ten years or less his senior/junior._

_-he is permanently registered at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries or is a prisoner of Azkaban._

_A witch will be subjected to the law even if:_

_-she is in a serious relationship/courtship._

_-she is engaged._

_-she is pregnant but not married._

_-she is studying abroad._

_-she is working abroad._

_A wizard will be subjected to the law even if:_

_-he is in a serious relationship/courtship._

_-he is engaged._

_-he is studying abroad._

_-he is working abroad._

_The law's requirements:_

_-Every witch and wizard subjected to the law shall marry their given partner on their given date._

_-The couple shall accept the Ministry rings monitoring sexual activity, fidelity, proximity and violence._

_-The couple shall remain married until they have at least three children, the witch has passed the age of 40 and the wizard has passed the age of 50. Witches at the age of 30 to 35 are only required to have two children; witches at the age of 36 to 40 are only required to have one child._

_-The couple shall consummate the marriage within 24 hours of the ceremony. The rings will monitor._

_-The couple shall share house, bed and finances. They are not allowed to live or sleep in different locations for more than a week. Every period away from each other must be followed by a period twice as long of living and sleeping together. The rings will monitor._

_-Neither partner may engage in intimacy with anyone but their husband/wife. The rings will monitor._

_-The couple shall engage in intercourse at least once a month. The rings will monitor._

_Note that, if one or more of the requirements are ignored, the punishment will be dire._

_Note that you cannot appeal against the Ministry's decision of partner._

_Note that, if you have financial problems, you can apply for money from the Ministry._

_Note that, if one partner behaves violently towards the other, the rings will monitor this and report the violence to the Ministry. The violence will be graded 1 – 10. A few occasional 1's and/or 2's will not be acted upon, but if many 1's and/or 2's are registered, an investigation will be made. More than one 3 or a single 4, 5, 6 or 7 will also lead to an investigation. A single 8, 9 or 10 will immediately lead to divorce and, if necessary, imprisonment for the inflictor._

_Note that you cannot get married to anyone else, neither can you leave the country until you're married. Any attempts to circumvent the law will be futile._

The list ended there. For several minutes, Ginny just blinked at it in utter shock. What? She was to be married, but not to Harry? Even though they were engaged? Not possible. It couldn't be.

When she finally got over her initial shock, she turned to the small pile of missives. There were four. Charlie's, George's, Hermione's, and hers. With trembling fingers she picked up her own and opened it.

_Miss Ginevra Weasley,_

_As you are 17 years old, you will be subjected to the Marriage Law. A complete copy of the law is enclosed; make sure to read the law before continuing reading this missive._

Ginny did so, numbly. The complete law told her very little of importance that the _Prophet _hadn't already covered, so she went back to the letter.

_I trust you now have full knowledge and understanding of the Marriage Law. You will receive the name of your chosen partner no later than the 5__th__ of August. You will receive the date of your wedding at the same time._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Melinda Welfer, Genetic Expert of the Ministry of Magic_

Ginny was just about to wonder how they'd collect her genes, when another line became visible.

_P.S. Thank you for touching this missive; we now have all the genetic information we need._

Ginny dropped the letter as if burned, but it was too late. It hardly mattered, anyways. She didn't doubt the Ministry had some sort of backup plan if anyone avoided touching the letter, or if the wrong person did.

Distantly wondering what would happen if she touched another person's letter, she picked up George's letter and tried to open it. A burning sensation made her drop the letter again.

'Bloody-' she swore angrily, and suddenly – she was furious. How _dared _they? How _dared _they break her engagement with Harry? How _dared _they make her marry someone else? How _dared _they burn her hand?

'Charlie!' she roared, well aware that the entire house would wake up. She'd been awake early today, even before her mother. The _Prophet _had been unusually early, too. Not very surprising, considering the main issue. 'George! Hermione! Come here, now!' she continued. When she didn't immediately hear feet in the stairs, she roared again, even louder. 'NOW!'

A few moments later she heard people walking down the stairs and after a minute not only Charlie, George and Hermione were standing in the kitchen, looking grumpy and tired, but also Molly, Arthur, Percy and Ron.

'Whassall th'yellin' 'bout?' muttered Ron, rubbing his face tiredly.

'Yeah, whaddya wan'?' George asked with a yawn, sounding equally tired.

'Oh, get over it, it's almost seven,' Ginny snapped. 'Charlie, George, Hermione, you have mail. I suggest you sit down before reading it. The rest of you, read the _Prophet._'

Molly picked up the _Prophet, _Arthur, Percy and Ron stepping close to see what all the fuss was about. Charlie, George and Hermione sat down to read their letters. In their tired state, they didn't notice Molly's horrified gasp, Percy's squeak or Ron's whispered 'Bloody hell…' Neither did they see Arthur going sickly pale.

The three by the table were just unfolding their letters and beginning to read. Hermione was the first to understand.

'Oh, no…' she moaned. Only a moment later, something that sounded suspiciously like a Ukrainian curse burst from Charlie's lips. George peered down at his letter for a few more seconds before he finally seemed to understand what it was saying.

'Bollocks!' he exclaimed.

'George!' Molly immediately admonished, having recovered from her shock enough to react to her son's curse.

'Sorry, mum,' he replied automatically, 'but…'

'I know, dear.'

Nothing more was said for a while. Arthur still looked pale and shocked; Molly looked defeated; Charlie was practically fuming; Percy looked rather unaffected but a tad sympathetic; George looked concerned; Ron and Hermione were exchanging significant glances mixed with desperation; Ginny still felt furious.

'Have everybody read and understood by now?' she asked after a while, her tone still rather short. The people in the kitchen nodded cautiously; they knew they shouldn't mess with her when she was in this kind of mood.

'Great. Have a nice few days. I'm going to Grimmauld Place. If I'll be engaged to someone else in four days, I'm bloody well going to make the most of the days I have left with my current fiancé,' she spat, and before anyone had the time to reply, she had spun around disapparated.

* * *

**Yep, Ginny's pissed off. But we knew she'd be. And if she's angry now, imagine how she'll be when she finds out that she's engaged to be married to Draco Malfoy…**

**So, what did you think about this chapter? Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**See you around for chapter three.**

**Hannoie**


	4. Chapter 3

**To Harry it is…**

**Disclaimer: Nope, it's not mine.**

* * *

Ginny apparated to Grimmauld Place's front step and knocked on the door. Harry opened immediately, looking surprised. He was fully dressed, holding a suitcase charmed with an extension charm. He had planned to spend August in The Burrow, as he was free from Auror training for the entire month.

'Hi! What are you doing here? I was just coming over. What's going on, Ginny?' he immediately asked.

'Haven't you had the _Prophet? _The letter?' Ginny asked shortly. She needed to blast something, she _really _needed to blast something.

Harry looked even more surprised.

'What letter? What's in the _Prophet_?'

Just then, two owls came swooping down and entered through the open door.

'Seems you're about to find out,' Ginny said.

A moment later, the Ministry Owl had flown away again. Harry paid the _Prophet _Owl, making it go away, too, leaving only Harry and Ginny in the house.

'Which should I read first? The _Prophet _or the letter?' he asked cautiously.

'It hardly matters,' Ginny replied. 'Do you have anything I can blast while you read?'

'Anything on the third floor. Filled with junk, it is,' Harry muttered absentmindedly as he opened the letter.

Ginny apparated directly to the third floor and opened the first door she saw. It was filled with old furniture; perfect. She started blasting piece after piece, screaming the incantations as loud as she could. It truly was a great outlet.

After five minutes, she felt a lot calmer. She realised that perhaps she should go down and see how Harry was doing; no doubt he had had a nasty shock when he had found out what the letter was about.

Ginny walked down, expecting to see Harry red with rage or pale with shock, but he was neither. He looked surprisingly calm, standing in the middle of the kitchen dressed in his best robes.

'Harry?' she asked, confused. How could he be fine with this? How come he wasn't upstairs blasting furniture, too? 'What's going on?'

'I'm going to the Ministry,' said Harry calmly. 'I'm the Boy Who Lived Twice. I'm the Chosen One. I defeated Voldemort. It's not anything I like to use to get my will through, but if I'm ever going to use that status, it's now. I'm going to make them repeal the law, or at the very least make an exception.

'Ginny, you're the best thing in my life. Did you really think I'd let you go?' he asked.

Ginny looked at him uncertainly. Were they really going to listen to him at the Ministry? Sure, he was Harry Potter, the saviour of the Wizarding World, but was that enough? She supposed there was only one way to find out.

'Fine,' she sighed. 'Let's go.'

'You're coming?' Harry asked, surprised.

'Of course I'm coming! I'm going to tell them exactly what I think about their new law.'

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were standing outside Kingsley Shacklebolt's office. An indifferent secretary who appeared to be in his sixties was stopping them from entering Kingsley's office.

'Minister Shacklebolt is a very busy man…'

'Is he in a meeting?' Harry asked, for the third time. The secretary, who had earlier avoided the question, hesitated.

'No, he is not. That doesn't mean he has time for unannounced visitors. I don't know how you reached this far, but I cannot allow you to go any further.'

'Do you know who I am?' Harry asked. Ginny saw a vein pulsing in his temple. She would have put a soothing hand on his arm hadn't she been equally angry.

'You appear to be Harry Potter,' the secretary said. 'I don't see why that means-'

'It means I'm a friend of Kingsley! Order of the Phoenix, no bells ringing?' Harry interrupted him. The secretary snorted.

'I'm well aware of Minister Shacklebolt's accomplishments. However, as you are unannounced-'

'Then announce us,' Ginny spat.

'It is customary to announce oneself before coming to-'

'To hell with customary!' Harry yelled. Suddenly, Kingsley exited his office.

'What's all the-' he began but interrupted himself when he saw who the visitors were. His shoulders slumped marginally. 'Oh, Harry, Ginny. Please, come in. I'm not very busy at the moment.'

Ginny couldn't help but throw a smug look at the secretary, before entering Kingsley's office.

Harry and Ginny sat down in front of Kingsley's desk. Ginny was just about to launch into a tirade of what exactly she thought about the new law and what she though should be done about it, when Kingsley anticipated her by speaking first.

'There's nothing to be done,' he said heavily. A moment's silence followed his statement.

'But we're already engaged!' Ginny blurted. Kingsley sighed.

'Yes, well, there's nothing to be done. The engagement will be officially broken by the 5th of August, unless you two are paired together. I'm sorry.'

* * *

Another half-hour of arguing had done nothing to help, so Ginny and Harry had had to go home again. Once home, after some very much needed furniture blasting, they had agreed that nothing would get better by spending their last few days as engaged brooding. Instead, they had decided to make the most of it.

Now, though, they were both at The Burrow. It was the 5th of August and the whole Weasley family was tensely awaiting the letters revealing the names of Charlie, George, Hermione, Harry and Ginny's life partners.

Seven o'clock sharp, the owls entered, each one carrying a missive. Every owl dropped their missive by the right person before leaving again.

Ginny looked down at the simple, white envelope. It looked so harmless, even though she knew it had the power to destroy her life.

She couldn't open it. Harry seemed equally unable to move, but Charlie, George and Hermione were opening their envelopes. Hermione was the first to unfold her letter.

'Terry Boot,' Hermione announced. She neither looked particularly pleased nor displeased. 'He is nice, I suppose. I never knew him too well, but… Well, he is Ravenclaw. I know he is rather intelligent. And standing up in the middle of the Great Hall, in front of the Carrows, announcing that I, Harry and Ron had made it into and out of Gringotts, that's rather brave, don't you think?'

Nods and murmurs of agreement met her question. Hermione leaned back, gesturing for George to unfold his letter. He did so immediately.

'Angelina Johnson!' he exclaimed, a big grin taking over his face. 'Now that's what I'm talking about. I'll challenge her to some one-on-one Quidditch as soon as we're settled.'

George received a couple of pats on the back for his good luck, before Charlie unfolded his letter.

'Alicia Spinnet,' he said, sounding curious. 'I recognize the name, but I can't quite place it. It says here she was a Gryffindor in your year, George. Can you tell me anything about her?' he asked. George grinned again.

'Had it not been Angelina, I would have wanted it to be Alicia. She's great at Quidditch,' he promptly said. 'Besides, I think she took Care of Magical Creatures on NEWT level. You'll like her, I promise.'

Everybody now looked at Harry and Ginny, who still hadn't opened their letters. They looked at each other, both begging the other to begin. Finally, Harry sighed and opened his letter.

He read the name with a grimace.

'Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin girl from our year. Great. Just great. I knew I'd get a Slytherin,' he muttered. Ginny's shoulders slumped; until that moment, she had still been able to hope that the name in her letter would be Harry.

''s okay, mate,' Ron said. 'I think Daphne was the only Slytherin girl never to make one or another stupid comment. Could've been worse.'

Harry shrugged, looking about as miserable as Ginny felt, and she hadn't even opened her letter yet.

As Ginny was the last one, everybody now turned to look impatiently at her. She slowly opened and unfolded her letter and read the name printed on the top of the page.

_Name: Draco Malfoy_

_Hogwarts House: Slytherin_

_Birthday: 5 June, 1980_

_Address: Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England_

_You, Miss Ginevra Weasley, will be married to Mister Draco Malfoy 11 August, 1999, 12 o'clock. Kindly be in the Ministry Atrium 11:30 to be collected._

_It is recommended to contact your intended before the marriage, to settle the details of living and finances._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Magra Trench, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

'Ginny?' Molly asked worriedly when her daughter remained silent.

'What a bloody birthday present,' Ginny spat.

'Who is it, Gin?' George wanted to know.

'On my birthday, I will be married to Draco Malfoy.'

* * *

**Oh, yes. Next chapter, we'll introduce Draco. I bet he'll be a right arse to poor Ginny… Then again, she'll most likely be quite unpleasant towards him, too.**

**Please leave a review!**

**See you around for chapter four.**

**Hannoie**


	5. Chapter 4

**Shout out to NunaShipper394 for coming up with the duel idea. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: However much I wish I owned Harry Potter, I don't.**

* * *

All hell broke loose, of course. People were screaming, roaring, arguing. They were yelling at her, she could tell, but she didn't hear what they were saying. She only had eyes for Harry. He wasn't arguing, he wasn't roaring; he didn't make a sound. To most people, he might have looked calm. But Ginny saw that on the inside, he was everything but. The look in his eyes made her genuinely afraid.

Suddenly, he was blocked from her view by Molly.

'Ginny, let me see the letter. I can't believe they are going to make you marry Malfoy, I simply can't believe it. You must have-'

'I didn't misread it. Mum, if you'd just-'

'But it's not possible! My daughter shall not bear the name Malfoy, I can't have it. We must-'

'Mum, move, please-'

'-and I'm going to the Ministry and-'

'Mum, move out of the way!' Ginny yelled. All the arguing voices around her fell silent, and the occupants of the room looked at her as if she had gone mad. Perhaps she had, but that didn't lessen her need to see Harry. 'Move out of the way,' she repeated. Molly did so, silently.

Harry's chair was empty.

'Where's Harry?' Ginny asked, feeling the panic rise inside her. Where could he have…? He couldn't possibly…

The Weasleys and Hermione were all looking around, confused.

'But…' Hermione said, 'He was here only a moment ago.'

And suddenly, Ginny knew where he'd gone.

'Oh, no,' she gasped.

'What?' Molly immediately asked.

'He's gone to Malfoy Manor,' Ginny said. Everyone in the room exchanged glances.

'Bloody hell!' swore Ron.

'Are you sure?' Hermione asked.

'Yes! I have to go there! I have to go there now!'

Ginny prepared to apparate to Malfoy Manor, but realised a moment later that she'd never been there. Knowing the name of the place wasn't enough; she needed a clear mental image.

'Hermione, apparate me to Malfoy Manor,' she ordered. Hermione was biting her lower lip.

'Are you certain? Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions?' she asked.

'No, Harry's there, I know it. And if we don't get there, they're going to kill each other. Apparate me now!'

After a moment, Hermione nodded. She grabbed Ginny's arm and apparated to Malfoy Manor.

They landed outside a pair of wrought iron gates. The gates were ajar and the lock was completely destroyed. Both Ginny and Hermione shivered when they sensed the residues of powerful wards violently broken.

'…you may be right,' Hermione admitted after a second.

'Yeah,' Ginny agreed. 'Let's go.'

They ran through the destroyed iron gates and soon reached the similarly treated door. They didn't pause but continued through it. After only a moment, they heard shouts and bangs from a room to the left.

They entered through an ornate door, taking in the scene in front of them. Harry was standing on one side of the room, duelling both Malfoy and Mrs Malfoy. As both the Malfoys were accomplished duellers, the only thing keeping Harry alive was the absolute rage shining in his eyes. He looked ready to murder and, according to the curses bursting from his wand, that was also his intent. He was fighting ugly; not that the Malfoys were fighting any less ugly.

'Hey!' Ginny yelled, drawing her wand and moving forward to step between the fighters.

'Ginny!' Hermione called, but Ginny ignored her. She was certain there were more effective and less dangerous ways to stop duels than to step between the duellists, but at the moment she didn't care. She'd make this duel end _now, _even if it killed her.

Soon, she was standing between the fighters, dodging curses left and right. As Harry didn't seem to notice her, and the Malfoys didn't seem to care about her, she non-verbally threw up a shield around herself. She made it elongated, creating a wall between the fighters.

A moment later, she expanded the shield violently, throwing Harry and the Malfoys backwards.

Both Harry, Malfoy and Mrs Malfoy were looking dazedly at her; none of them had expected to be thrown into a wall.

'Hermione, take Harry back to The Burrow and make sure he stays there. I'll deal with him later,' Ginny said shortly. Hermione nodded, smiled weakly and did as Ginny asked.

As soon as Harry was out of the room, half led and half dragged by Hermione, Ginny turned to the Malfoys. Mrs Malfoy was looking at her curiously; Malfoy glaring at her hostilely. They were still holding their wands, but made no move towards her. Satisfied, Ginny turned to look at the room. There were burn marks and broken furniture everywhere. A simple wand movement and a muttered 'Reparo' later, the room was restored to its original glory.

She turned back to the Malfoys. She didn't apologise for Harry's behaviour, but waited for them to speak first.

'Weasley,' Malfoy sneered as a sort of greeting.

'Malfoy,' Ginny replied, trying and failing to sound cordial.

'What are you doing here?' he asked, his words harsh and unfriendly.

'Why, I only wished to 'settle the details of living and finances',' was Ginny's sarcastic reply. 'My intentions coming here were certainly not to save Harry and you from death or imprisonment. What a ridiculous notion.'

'Make way for the Queen of Sarcasm,' Malfoy drawled lazily, contradicting his sweaty, flustered appearance. Ginny felt a flare of anger at his words, and stood straighter, placing her hands on her hips.

'And as you're the King of Sarcasm, it paints a painfully accurate image of our current predicament. Now, as I'm already here, perhaps we _should _settle the details. That way, I don't have to see you again until my birthday.'

'Your birthday, Weasley?' he asked. 'I was under the impression we would see each other on our wedding day.'

'Which happens to be my birthday,' Ginny replied tartly.

'We'll make sure to bring a gift,' said Mrs Malfoy sharply, giving her son a warning look. 'As is custom in the Malfoy family.'

'Yes, mother,' Draco muttered.

'Very well. I'll leave you two to discuss this alone. Behave.' With that, Mrs Malfoy left the room.

'The _details_, Malfoy,' Ginny said after a few moments of silence.

'There's nothing to discuss,' Malfoy drawled. 'I am rich; you are not. I am the owner of a big, beautiful house; you are not. We shall live here. You may send your clothes. Call for Tinny, one of our house-elves, at any time you want. She will bring them over and dispose of any clothes unworthy of a Malfoy. If I have to marry you, Weaslette, then at least you shouldn't be dressed in rags.'

'I am not dressed in rags!' Ginny exclaimed indignantly, ignoring the urge to glance down at her clothes. She knew she was dressed in deep blue, impeccable robes. Malfoy could have no complaints about her current attire; it wasn't even Gryffindor colours.

'Perhaps not at the moment, but I hardly think the rest of your wardrobe is of the same standard.'

'As you are not privy to my wardrobe, you shouldn't assume to know anything about it!' Ginny spat.

'Well, enough about your clothes. As far as living and finances go, do we have an agreement?' he asked.

'We certainly do not have an agreement!' Ginny replied angrily. 'I refuse to live in the house Professor Burbage was murdered in; Hermione was tortured in; Luna was imprisoned in.'

'No? Where would you prefer to live?' Malfoy drawled. 'Your own home, perhaps? I'm sure that would do for an interesting wedding night, at least.'

Ginny shuddered; both at the thought of the wedding night, and at the thought of spending it at The Burrow.

'No, not The Burrow. Somewhere entirely else,' she said.

'Look here, Weasley. The Malfoys live in Malfoy Manor. The Malfoys have always lived in Malfoy Manor. The Malfoys will always live in Malfoy Manor. We're not breaking a 900 year old tradition for one unwilling blood traitor bride,' Malfoy sneered.

'And I'm not moving into a Death Eater lair,' Ginny countered.

'Weasley,' Malfoy drawled, 'I know you're a little slow on the intake, but this is bad even for you. How many Death Eaters do you see here?'

'One,' was Ginny's quick reply. Malfoy tensed, but didn't rise to the bait.

'We're living here, end of discussion,' was all he said.

'No.'

'No? You do know that if we haven't agreed on a place come 11 August, the Ministry will decide for us. Can you imagine what place they will choose?' he asked.

Ginny was thinking fast, trying to find a way out of living in Malfoy Manor. To her great annoyance, she could find none.

'Fine,' she spat, and Malfoy relaxed. 'But I am not going to spend the wedding night with your parents in-'

'Mother will be away until the morning of 13 August,' Malfoy promised.

'And your father?' Ginny suspiciously asked. 'Where is he, anyway?'

Malfoy tensed again, hesitating for a few seconds.

'Father died from the Wizard's Plague about eight months ago,' he finally said, quite stiffly. Ginny felt her anger fade away, being replaced by something akin to compassion. What she had feared would happen to her family, had happened to Malfoy's.

'Oh. I- I'm sorry, Malfoy,' she said hesitantly. Malfoy sneered.

'Don't be. I am glad he died. Had he survived, he would have lost his magic. He would have been a muggle. Better die with dignity than live as a muggle.'

And with that, any empathy she might have felt for the fatherless young man in front of her disappeared. She was once again simply angry with him.

'Oh, you're impossible, you- you self-centred, prejudiced prat!' she indignantly exclaimed and, without further ado, left the room.

* * *

**They're obviously not very fond of each other… Yet. We'll get there. Next time's the wedding!**

**Please leave a review, they are greatly appreciated and the only payment a fanfiction writer gets.**

**See you around for chapter five!**

**Hannoie**


	6. Hiatus

**Hello, dear readers! Thank you for reading and following this story, and forgive me for not updating in a while. I'm in the middle of final exams, final assignments and final everything, so I simply don't have time for any of my stories at the moment. School will end 13 June, so hopefully you will have an update well before July.**

**Thank you for being patient!**

**Hannoie**


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